The H’Art of Giving

 

PROGRESS UPDATE  – 
Fund Team Coordinator Report (March 2024)
The Fund Team:

As of March 4 th , the incredible generosity of 188 classmates (36%) produced Centennial Class FY24 gifts totaling $359,700.  With your help, a sprint to June 30th will meet our FY24 goals of 55% participation and $500,000 in gifts. Our 50th  Reunion gift includes gifts in the five years ending FY25 plus fifty percent of all documented Bequest Intentions greater than $10,000 and is currently at an impressive $4,366,746.

The best of Smith was on full display at Rally Day when President Sarah and each Medalist
inspired students to make the world a better place.  Smith is committed to making a high-quality education possible for women from all economic backgrounds by meeting 100% of the documented need of all admitted students.  Alumnae support is critical.

Financial Aid to Smith students has grown from $71 million in 2021-2022 to $90 million in 2022-2023, a 27% increase in one year! Over 66% of Smith students receive some form of financial aid, 18% are the first in their families to attend college and, thanks to the generosity of alumnae, loans are no longer a part of any student’s financial aid package! 

The Centennial Class of 1975 Endowed Scholarship Fund has just celebrated its third birthday with $1,007,963 in gifts and pledges and our first scholarship recipient, Aarya Timilsina.  She is from Kathmandu, Class of 2026 and majoring in Quantitative Economics and Statistical & Data Sciences.

To designate your gift for The Centennial Class of 1975 Endowed Scholarship Fund, go the link below and select it from the available drop-down menu options or chose any of the many other options listed below.

 

MakeAGift

What gifts are included in our class gift/reunion class gift?

All contributions to the college are included in the class gift totals.  Follow your passion and donate to Smith College in any of the following Funds: 

  • Smith Fund (General support which is usually scholarship aid)
  • The Centennial Class of 1975 Endowed Scholarship Fund
  • General Scholarship Aid Fund
  • Ada Comstock Scholarship Aid Fund
  • International Students Scholarship Aid Fund
  • Neilson Library Fund
  • International Programs Fund
  • Equity and Inclusion Fund
  • Faculty Support Fund
  • Career Services Fund
  • Curricular Support Fund
  • Facilities Fund
  • Student Life Fund
  • Study Away Fund
  • Sustainability Fund
  • Emergency Fund for Students of Color
  • Friends of the Library
  • Friends of the Botanical Garden
  • Friends of the Art Museum
  • Friends of Smith Athletics

Some types of bequests, such as charitable gift annuities, count towards the class gift.  Fifty percent of other bequests, if they are $10,000 or greater, will count for our 50th Reunion gift. 

What are the giving categories?

  • Gifts of any amount are welcome and very much appreciated. All gifts count towards the participation rate and class gift, no matter how large or small.
  • Grecourt Society– People who have included Smith in their estate plans in any amount.  For more information, go to http://www.smith.plannedgiving.org .
  • Smith Stars– People who have given to Smith for 5 or more consecutive years.

All other Smith College giving opportunities are also available at this site. Remember, all gifts to whatever designation you select count for our total 50th reunion gift. 

To see the full panoply of giving options go to smith.edu/giving. 

  • To make a gift by telephone or to make a pledge, call 1-800-241-2056, option #1, M-F, 8:30am-4:30pm ET,
  • To make a gift by mail, send a check to Smith College Gift Accounting, 33 Elm St, Northampton, MA 01063.
  • To make a gift of stock,call 800-526-2023, option #5, or 413-585-2681 during business hours, Monday-Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
  • To make a gift by means of one of several other vehicles such as through your will, from your IRA or with an annuity that pays a fixed income for life, call 800-241-2056, option 4 or go to http://smith.plannedgiving.org/smith/giving/1.html
  • To become a member of the Grécourt Society, the society that honors individuals who have indicated that they are remembering Smith in their wills, IRAs, life insurance or other estate planning documents, go to http://smith.plannedgiving.org.
  • If it’s easier, just reach out to me, Jody Angevin, Fund Team Coordinator
    781-640-4846, or jodyangevin@gmail.com 

SPECIAL GIFTS

Happy Birthday-and-a-Half, Classmates! Many of us have turned 70-1/2 or are about to, so it’s time to think about the best way to fund your 50 th Reunion gift! You could direct your IRA custodian to send up to $100,000 per calendar year directly to Smith as a Qualified Charitable Distribution or you could send a one-time gift of up to $53,000 from your IRA as a Charitable Annuity and create a lifetime income stream (currently 6.3%). Either gift can go to the Smith Fund or our class’s endowed scholarship fund. So easy-peasy! Talk to me for more information, Sam Samuels in the Development Office ssamuels@smith.edu or go to https://smith.plannedgiving.org/new-incentives.

Ann Sanford, Special Gifts Chair
419-297-5971, annies75@aol.com

PLANNED GIVING

Planned giving also supports Smith.  Wills, trusts, IRA’s and insurance policies are some options.  These can be unrestricted or made to the Class of 1975 Endowed Scholarship fund, or split.  It’s an easy process, and if you go to https://smith.plannedgiving.org or attend webinars (see schedule below), you’ll find all the information you need. Or email me for help!

Charitable Gifts Annuities – (Recording here), Passcode: ^5v*Cue4
   Powerpoint Milestone Classes 3-4-24 Annuities

Planned Gifts by Retirement Assets (Recording here), Passcode: B0bA^Ui!
Reunion Bequest Intentions  (Recording here)
 Powerpoint Milestone Classes 1-10-24 Bequest Intentions

Jill Nexon Berman, Planned Giving Chair
305-790-7999  jillnberman@gmail.com